Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones
by ShineBright
Summary: Life gets complicated after the team hardly escapes an ambush. But of course some might not have so long to live...ShepLiz btw Chapter 2 is edited, and now u can see the POV's
1. Don't Sweat It

a/n I own nothing at all this is just for fun

Sorry no story for a LONG time, but, you know, life's busy!

**Sticks and Stones Will Break Your Bones**

**Chapter One**

Elizabeth Weir, clad in her blue flannel pajamas, wondered through the halls of Atlantis. At 5 in the morning the city looked peaceful enough to still belong to the Ancients. Just the way she liked it. Walking through the corridors she could be herself...not the commander, not the boss, or a doctor, or a diplomat. No, she could be Liz, and let her mind wonder off to places father than the Milky Way Galaxy.

During the midst of her wondering, she paused in front of the gym door. The light was on. Twisting the handle, she ventured in, and closed it softly behind her.

"Morning Liz."

"Major! What are you doing up so early?"

"Early morning run. You?"

"Early morning walk."

John just nodded and picked up his pace after slacking off to talk to her. Elizabeth hung back, not sure of where to go. He clearly didn't expect any visitor as he was dressed in only loose black pants and military boots.

_He should take off his shirt more often..._

Elizabeth blushed at her thought, but still didn't peel her eyes off the Major's naked torso.

"So, You just gunna stand there and watch?"

"Do you come here every morning?" She asked trying to change the subject.

"Pretty much. It's important to me to stay in shape."

"You're not even breathless!"

"Yeah, well, in training we had to run miles while reciting flight manuals."

"Owch."

"At first, yeah. But the training was worth it to be able to talk to you and run."

Once again she blushed, very happy that he could not see her face.

"You know, I think it's a good idea of you to stay in shape. I'm not worried about Ford or Teyla...but Mckay might need some help."

"Sure. But what about you?"

"Excuse me?"

John stopped jogging and faced her as he wiped the trickles of sweat off his face. Elizabeth might have gone weak in the knees over his obvious concern for her, but she was imaging herself equally drenched in sweat and probably wheezing.

"I'm serious. What if you had to come to some other planet for diplomatic stuff? I can't help you in a situation there if you can't help yourself. When I'm out there I have to know that everyone with me is up to the task."

She stared at him for a moment, rather shocked at his seriousness, but she found herself nodding and saying something along the lines of agreeing as long as it was taken slow.

"Good. We start now."

"Now?"

"Yup. Get up on the treadmill."

She did so, and watched as the Major turned it on and stepped back.

"Run till you get tired."

"What? Is that it?"

"Yup. We're starting easy."

_Easy enough I guess...Goodness I'm tired...how long has it been? WHAT? Is my watch broken? It's been three minutes. Maybe that was just a fast mile. A really fast mile...WHAT? Is this thing broken too? What's with the equipment here? Only a 4th of a mile...I am so dead...And John...yeah, stop smirking._

"Ok, Liz, that's enough."

"No, I can do more."

"So you can hurt yourself and not have to do this again? Nice try."

_Dang it. He's good._

He flashed her a smile as he handed her his water bottle.

Elizabeth took it, and gulped some down. She was feeling breathless, but not just because of her workout, but because she was staring into the twinkling eyes of John Sheppard.

3


	2. Ok, you can sweat it now

**Chapter 2**

Two Weeks Later

**Elizabeth's POV**

John looked over at Elizabeth and Rodney from across the mess hall table.

"No gym today."

His pupils smiled and were just about to cheer out loud till he interrupted them.

"We're going to venture through the gate. Planet P87632, declared safe and the villagers are friendly and way far away from the stargate."

"John, I can't leave the base."

"I arranged it so we can. It's gunna be an easy-peasy version of survival camp."

"What?"

"We leave now."

"John!"

"Elizabeth, you don't think this is important?" the Major asked giving her a puppy dog smile.

"I do...I do..."

"I don't."

"Shutup Rodney."

Elizabeth shivered after stepping through the gate. No matter how many times she'd ventured through, the idea of her being pulled apart and re-assembled never settled entirely with her.

John however, plodded on ahead, unfazed. If he felt anything, it wouldn't show.

_I wonder if he does feel anything...For me...No, focus Elizabeth._

Suddenly, he jerked to a stop, causing Rodney and Elizabeth to nearly crash into him. He gripped her by the wrist and threw her behind the rock. Soon after Rodney came flying over and landed next to her. As he was grumbling something about serious bruising on his bottom, John jumped over the rock and crouched down.

"Shh," he said as he peered over the large boulder, "stay down. We're about to take fire."

He said it so mellow, as if he was merely telling them that they were about to go to dinner, or for a walk. It even didn't register in her mind till she heard the shots fire from near the gate.

Elizabeth watched appreciatively as the Major handled the situation. His body was tensely pulled into a crouch, each muscle ready for action. At every crash of an incoming bullet, he remained still, his eyes remained unblinking.

_We're safe. Rodney and I are safe._

His gun was level and steady as he aimed, not a single bullet wasted, not a single jerk as the gun fired.

"Rodney," he said with his voice low and raspy, "Get up and help me out here. You've been in the field long enough. Liz, I'm going to switch to my hand gun, meanwhile re-load a clip on the P90."

_Oh shoot. Oh shoot. He showed me how yesterday._

The gun and clip landed in her lap. After fumbling for a moment she had it put together just in time for the Major to yank it out of her hand.

_I did it! I did it! He was right...all that training was important._

"So...What are the villagers like?" Elizabeth asked.

"Um, unfriendly?"

"No...no. Wraith, or...what?"

"People that look just like us," Rodney said as he ducked back behind the rock.

"They're retreating. Probably getting re-enforcements. Let's head back to the gait. Rod, you go first, then me and Liz. Go."

**Sheppard's POV:**

_What was that noise? This was supposed to be uninhabited around here._

Sheppard's eyes noticed a blurr of blue cloth behind the bushes. In an instant he threw Elizabeth and Rodney over the nearest rock. He made it over the stone just as a bullet whizzed over his head.

_You were distracted. Sloppy. Too close._

There were ten of them. Human like creatures, through the lens on his gun he saw they had six fingers. Tall. All were heavily bearded, and to his dismay, all very well armed.

"Shh," he said as he peered over the large boulder, "stay down. We're about to take fire."

He squeezed off a couple of rounds noticing that somehow they managed to dodge the bullets, and his ammunition ended up marking more tree trunks than villagers.

_Dang good reactions. Ok...think...calm...Trap...Use their advantages against them._

"Rodney," he said with his voice low and raspy, "Get up and help me out here. You've been in the field long enough. Liz, I'm going to switch to my hand gun, meanwhile re-load a clip on the P90."

He tossed the gun in her lap praying that she could keep her cool and remember how to install a clip. Mean while, Rodney obeyed after mumbling something incoherently.

Ignoring this, John watched as Rodney fired off a shot, no doubt missing the target. But the speedy aliens were focused on shot one, not shot two that ripped from John's handgun. Once he heard the click of his P90 come together, he wrenched it from her grasp.

"So...What are the villagers like?" Elizabeth asked.

"Um, unfriendly?"

_What is she doing talking? Doesn't she know...Focus..._

"No...no. Wraith, or...what?"

_Thank goodness not! Or this wouldn't have worked._

With his plan the villagers fell one by one.

"People that look just like us," Rodney said as he ducked back behind the rock.

_I don't think I'm that hairy...Speak for yourself Rod._

"They're retreating. Probably getting re-enforcements. Let's head back to the gait. Rod, you go first, then me and Liz. Go."

_10 little Indians, and then there were none._

As he got up from behind the rock first, he scraped his arm on a stick and groaned as a trickle of blood run down his arm. Sighing, he told them to be careful of sharp objects... And he had been so careful to avoid Carson this time.

**McKay's POV:**

_I can't believe Weir dragged me into this. This is just not right. Suffering on some stupid boring planet instead of being able to work in the lab. Better than running I guess. Though my khakis were a bit looser this morning..._

Without even noticing John's grip on the back of his jacket, he found himself being shoved over a boulder. Tumbling down, he landed on a stick. Rubbing his bottom he found a smear of blood.

_Yetch._

"Ow my bottom."

"Shh," John said as he peered over the large boulder, "stay down. We're about to take fire."

_Stay down? No problem. Sheppard could play hero-suicidal maniac as long as he wanted. Well, as long as he gets us out of this one too. _

Rodney closed his eyes and sunk down as low as possible. He even placed his hands over his ears to block out the noise.

And then he heard his name...Unclamping his hands from his ears, he looked up at the emotionless face of the military man.

"Rodney," he said with his voice low and raspy, "Get up and help me out here. You've been in the field long enough. Liz, I'm going to switch to my hand gun, meanwhile re-load a clip on the P90."

"But I'm doing just fine down here."

His comment was ignored. And in a moment of shame, he wished that no one could have heard it.

_It must be bad if he's asking me for help. And with Elizabeth here too..._

Sighing, he accepted his mission and pulled out his gun from his holder and tried to copy the Major's stance.

_Please don't let me die. I'm too smart to die._

Rodney popped off some shots here and there, but he must have lousy aim or they were able to dodge his fire every time.

The Major however, struck down every one he aimed at.

_What does he even need me for?_

"So...What are the villagers like?" Elizabeth asked.

"Um, unfriendly?"

"No...no. Wraith, or...what?"

Rodney ducked back behind the rock as soon as he saw that they were all gone.

"People that look just like us," Rodney said.

_Thank you, thank you, I'm alive._

"They're retreating. Probably getting re-enforcements. Let's head back to the gait. Rod, you go first, then me and Liz. Go."

_Wait...why me first? Crap. Just when I thought I was going to get out of this alive._

5


End file.
